No Sunshine When She's Gone (16 page)

An interesting friendship, Jill thought, the dog and parrot bonding. She rose then and said, “You’ve got a lot to do, and I’m headed to the beach. We’ll talk later.”

“Enjoy your vacation day,” Aidan said as he stood, too, and showed her out. “The area near the pier is least crowded. There’s shade should you want to cool off.”

She would take his advice. “The day after tomorrow Carrie and I can move into our boardwalk store,” she told him. She felt a rush of excitement. “We have a lot to do before the slow pitch softball game and the ground-breaking ceremony.”

“You’ll be busy.”

She’d make time for him, if he wanted to see her. She didn’t tell him that. She’d let him do the chasing. She liked being pursued. She might even let him catch her.

Jill returned to Carrie in the outer office. She found her friend chatting with Agnes. They shared a love for romance novels, and were comparing authors. Mike had disappeared. He had likely departed when their conversation turned to larger-than-life heroes and half-naked cover models.

“Ready to go?” Carrie asked Jill when she approached her.

Jill nodded. “Let’s head out,” she said.

They took their leave. Carrie headed slowly down the dirt road, not wanting to cast a lot of dust on the work crew. Mike was back at the guard gate. Carrie waved at him as they passed through. Mike gave her a short nod. His communication skills were improving.

“Your plans for the rest of the day?” Carrie asked Jill as they drove back to town.

“I’m off to the beach, then have a date with Aidan. How about you?”

“I have a few errands to run. I need groceries and want to set up a local bank account. I may even buy a new swimsuit.”

Jill’s two-piece was four years old. She’d spent time at Virginia Beach, but not enough to warrant new beachwear. Her navy suit was slightly faded, but who cared? She was going to the beach for a tan; she wasn’t looking for a man.

An hour later, Jill found the perfect spot near the pier. She’d debated long and hard, then broken down and purchased a new beach lounger. Extravagance was not her style. She saw the lounger as an investment, living so near the Gulf.

She set up her lounger, laid a beach towel over the yellow-and-white vinyl. She slipped off her tank top and untied the string on her gray athletic shorts. She was already barefoot. She reached into her beach bag for her red wide-brimmed straw hat. She next retrieved her sunglasses. She uncapped her bottle of sunscreen and rubbed it on thickly. She wished she had someone to put it on her back. She didn’t feel comfortable asking a stranger.

She’d brought two women’s magazines to read. She’d found them under the coffee table at the houseboat. They were a year old. The fashions might be outdated, but the articles looked good. She sat down carefully, not wanting to tip the lounger and land in the sand, since she was covered in sunscreen. She flipped open a Christmas issue of
Cosmopolitan,
and began to scan the pages.

She’d read both magazines by the time her stomach growled. Her biorhythms were telling her it was close to noon. She looked down the beach, saw both a hot dog and Popsicle stand. There was her main meal and dessert, she decided. She rummaged in her beach bag for her wallet.

“Are you Jillian Mac?” A young woman now blocked her sun. She had curly blond hair and a curious smile. She carried a picnic basket.

“I’m Jill,” she said.

“I thought it was you.” She seemed pleased with herself. “My cousin Aidan described you perfectly.”

Why would he be describing her to someone? Jill wondered. What had he said about her? She was about to find out.

“You’re brunette and beautiful,” the blonde said. “Aidan figured you’d be wearing a red sun hat.”

He thought she was beautiful. Jill’s heart fluttered. Compliments were new to her. She liked hearing them.

“I’m Violet Cates-Davis,” she introduced herself. “My husband, Brad, and I own Molly Malone’s. We purchased the diner from my Aunt Molly last summer.”

Jill had eaten lunch there with Carrie. “I love your milk shakes.”

“They are good,” Violet agreed. “Aidan called me a bit ago. He asked that I bring you lunch.”

“He did?” This surprised her, in a good way.

“It’s hard to judge what a person might like,” Violet continued. “I didn’t want chicken or egg salad to spoil in the heat. I went with our famous peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

Jill remembered seeing the sandwich on the menu. Made with one slice of rye and one slice of pumpernickel, it was then spread with crunchy peanut butter on both. Grape jelly and strawberry preserves were added. When she’d been there before, others in the diner had ordered the sandwich. It had looked thick and tasty.

Violet handed Jill the small basket. “There are two kinds of chips, a double-fudge brownie, and a bottle of iced tea. I hope that works for you.”

“Totally,” Jill said, excited over her picnic.

“Do you have a cell phone with you?” Violet asked.

Jill nodded.

“Give me a call if you need anything further.” She turned to go.

“How much do I owe you?” Jill called after her.

“It’s on Aidan.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank him.” Violet gave her a final smile and walked away.

Jill definitely would. She ate her lunch as if she hadn’t seen food for a week. Every bite hit the spot. The Gulf provided the perfect view. It was an iridescent blue. Wave runners raced beyond the sandbar. Sailboats drifted on the breeze. Swimming lessons were being offered by a lifeguard in the shallows of the shore.

Jill pinched herself. She couldn’t believe she was in Barefoot William. Working for the Richmond Rogues provided her job security. Meeting Aidan Cates was a definite perk. Life was good.

She finished her lunch, feeling full. The sun was at its zenith. She stretched out her legs, and that’s when she noticed her feet looked red. Lobster red. She’d applied sunscreen on her legs, but not to her ankles and feet. She was in trouble now.

She decided it was time to leave the beach. She packed up, and walked to the wooden steps that led to the boardwalk. Hot and gritty, the sand chafed her feet. They itched like crazy. She was hot-stepping by the time she reached the stairs. She tried walking on her heels on the boardwalk, which was a bit better, but still not great.

She quickly returned the picnic basket to Molly Malone’s, then headed for the visitor’s parking lot. Her steps were slow and painful. She winced more than once.

Driving a clutch nearly killed her. She kept the Triumph in first gear on the way home. The vintage sports car grumbled, growled, and lurched, but didn’t stall out. She arrived safely at the houseboat, then hobbled onboard.

Jill discarded her swimsuit and showered. Once dry, she searched her medicine cabinet for body lotion. She found a bottle of Vaseline Intensive Care.

She went into her bedroom, pulled an old pair of lounging pajamas from her suitcase. She had yet to unpack. She sat on the edge of her bed and massaged the lotion on one foot, then the other. She left a thick protective layer. Soft socks came next. Her feet felt squishy, but at least she could walk. A short distance anyway.

She returned to the living room, and lay down on the sofa. She planned to watch some afternoon television. Maybe catch up on her favorite soap operas. Instead she fell asleep.

She woke to the evening news. She’d slept for several hours. She felt revived. She sat up on the couch and wiggled her feet. Her skin felt raw. A blister had formed on her big toe. This was not good. She had a date with Aidan Cates in two hours. They were to play miniature golf. She would not let sunburn stop her.

Their date would be casual. Jill dressed in a gray top and her favorite black jeans. Her feet presented a minor problem. She lathered on more lotion, wore the same pair of socks. She then slipped on her Isotoner PillowStep slide slippers. They’d been a gift from Carrie. The slippers were meant for the bedroom, but could be worn outside in an emergency. She had no other choice. It was the slippers or stay home.

She brushed her hair, left it loose. She added six gem-toned bracelets to her right arm. She was ready to go. This was as good as she was going to get.

Aidan arrived at seven. He wore a rugby pullover, tan with a wide burgundy stripe across the chest, khakis, and loafers. He defined masculine.

“Where’s Sadie?” she asked, looking over his shoulder.

“She’s stretched out in my SUV. I lowered the backseat, so she has lots of room. The windows are cracked. I figured you’d be ready, so she wouldn’t be left alone for long.”

Jill wasn’t always prompt. She tended to run late, but her date with Aidan had inspired her to be on time. She’d been counting down the minutes. “Let’s go then.”

He stopped her at the door. “There’s lotion oozing from the top of your socks.”

Yes, there was. She sighed, confessed, “My feet are sunburned. They hurt. I squeezed half a bottle of lotion in my socks.”

“You must really want to play miniature golf.”

“It’s my sport of choice.” She wanted to spend time with him, whatever the cost.

“You killed at pinball the other night.”

“I have golf skills, too.”

Still he hesitated. “Sunburn is no fun.” He appeared concerned. “We can make this another night.”

“Do my slippers embarrass you?”

He shook his head. “Blue and fuzzy do it for me.”

Aidan Cates did it for her. She set the security system and they were off. She walked slowly, and he stayed by her side. He didn’t rush her.

Sadie welcomed her with a wagging tail. Jill reached over the passenger seat and petted her. They buckled up and hit the road. “We’ll drop Sadie off at my sister’s,” Aidan said. “Then play By the Sea, Barefoot William’s beach-themed course.”

There was only one car in the Saunders’s driveway when they arrived at the beach house. Shaye met them at the front door. A bandana wrapped her hair and dirt smudged her cheek. “Trace is working late and I’m cleaning,” she told them. “Can I get you to pull out the refrigerator, Aidan? I tried, but it won’t budge.”

Aidan frowned at his sister. “The Northland’s heavy. You don’t want to hurt your back. You should’ve waited for Trace.”

“I hate waiting when I want to do something now,” she stated. “I’ve got the cleaning bug.”

“You should hire a housekeeper,” said Aidan.

“It’s been a long, chaotic day, and cleaning clears my head,” Shaye said. “I like putting things in order.”

“Aidan, is that you?”
Olive squawked from the living room. She had heard them arrive.
“Sad, too?”

“And Jill,” Aidan said as he crossed to her cage.

The parrot tilted her head.
“Jill.”
Olive recognized her.
“White lies are forgiven.”

Jill was speechless. The Quaker had the memory of an elephant. Aidan and she had stood near the cage the night of the barbecue and discussed honesty and stretching the truth. Olive remembered Jill’s exact words.

“Did someone lie?” Shaye overheard Olive.

“No one,” said Aidan.

“Tell the truth,”
Olive said.

Aidan stuck his finger through the cage, gently stroking the parrot on the head. “It was a private conversation, and you’re spilling our secrets, aren’t you?”

“Fuckin’ A.”

“I see her language hasn’t improved,” said Aidan. “She has such fun saying it.”

“Too much fun,” Shaye said with a sigh. “I’m working on replacement words. I just haven’t hit on the right ones yet.”

“Chat with Olive while I move the fridge,” Aidan said to Jill. He and his sister took off down the hallway.

“What’s on your mind?”
asked Olive. She sounded so human, it was hard to remember she was a parrot.

“My feet are sunburned,” was what concerned Jill most at the moment.

“Ouch.”
Olive’s sympathy sounded genuine.

Sadie arrived a moment later. She looked up at Olive and her tongue lolled out of her mouth.
“She loves me,”
said the Quaker.

“Lucky you,” said Jill.

“I like Aidan.”

“Me, too.”

Olive screeched her approval.
“Jill likes Aidan.”

Jill’s heart stopped. Heaven help her! There was no saving grace, she realized. She’d spoken the words and Olive would repeat them to her dying day. She wished the parrot would start swearing again.

“What’s this I hear?” Aidan came around the corner. Amusement darkened his eyes. One corner of his mouth curved and his dimple flashed.

“Jill likes Aidan.”

“That’s what I thought I heard.”

“Olive misunderstood,” Jill was quick to say.

“Olive doesn’t make mistakes.” Aidan grinned. “How much does Jill like me?” he prodded the parrot.

The Quaker fluttered her wings and danced on her perch.
“For me to know and for you to find out.”

“She has one heck of a vocabulary,” Aidan praised.

“Heck?”
Olive mimicked him, as if trying the word on for size.
“Heck, heck, heck.”

“She may not know what the word means, but it’s far better than her previous one,” Shaye said from the hallway.

“Let’s hope it sticks,” said Aidan.

“Heck sticks,”
Olive said.

“I hear you like my brother,” Shaye teased Jill.

Jill cringed. “I think all of Barefoot William now knows. Olive’s squawk carries.”

Shaye didn’t press further. “Enjoy your evening.” She walked them to the door. “Olive and I will take good care of Sadie.”

“Heck, yes,”
Olive agreed.

Aidan opened Jill’s passenger door once they reached his SUV. He blocked her when she would’ve climbed in. “So,” he asked with a gleam in his eye, “is what Olive said true?”

“I like you enough to want to know you better.” She was honest.

“There’s no better way to get to know a man than to play him in miniature golf.”

Jill soon found that to be true. By the Sea was a challenging mini-putt. They selected colored putters and matching balls at the entrance booth. Jill played with red and Aidan chose black. The eighteen-hole course was created with lots of mounding and varying elevations. Rippling streams and waterfalls accented the landscape. Various robotic creatures and characters, lifelike and mobile, were activated at each hole.